I ob circular mandrels



July l0, 1928.

J. R. HUNTER TAPERED PLUG FOR CIRCULAR MANDRELS Filed Oct. 29. 1926 HENTOR John R Hunm,

ATTORNEY Ruqmml RuuJrLu-m Patented July 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. HUNTER, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, ri.. CORPORATION 0F OHO.

TAPERED PLUG FOR CRGULAR MANDB-LLS.

Application filed October 29, 1926.I Serial No. 144,961.

My invention relates to eppozitus employed in the manufacture ot inner tubes for pneumatic tire casings, and it has perticular reference to a vulcanizing apparatus upon which inner tubes are cured upon curved mandi-els or cores.

One object of my invention is to provide o` vulcanizing apparatus designed that n material increase in the production of inner tubes may be effected Without increasing the size oit the conventional heaters ordinarily employed incidentally to vulcunizing such inner tubes.

One oil2 the known methods of Vult-anim tion employed in the manufacture olE inner tubes consists in wrapping sheets or strips of rubber compound on curved or arcuate nmndrels or cores and mounting the cores upon a truck which is rolled into e cylindricol oven where the rubber is subjected to vvrlconizing heat.

In order to obtain greater production cz pacity for the` npparatus, mandrels oif dillieb cnt radii of curvature have been employed and arranged in concentric rows upon the carriage. ein apparatus embodying these features is fully described und claimed in thc co-pending application ol' Russ: i lil. Heiner, for cu fved tube vulconizing appareu tus tiled July 13, 1.926, Serial No. 122,116, nonv patent #1,658,89l.

The supporting nenns heretofore employed 'for holding the ninndrcls in en upright position pern'iitted them to tilt s" ightly to one side or to the` other and it was theretore nece-sary to pince them a considerable ,listance apart in the rows in order to prevent the tubes Vtroni toiuthingeuch other (luring Vulcanizution thereof, thereby causing u detective product.

Tl'ie principal feature ot my invention .is an iniprtwement oli the supporting means cniployed in :Lppurnt .s ot this chui-actor in order that the nmndrels may be held iirinly iu proper position, thereby avoiding' the possibility of the tubes touching erich other when the mandrels are placed close together in the rows.

For i better understanding of my invention reference muy non' be luid to the accompanying drawings forming :i part of this speci'lication, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational .f'jiew apparatus for conveying tubesl into a heater ol air lustroting a number of mandrels mounted iereon;

Fig. 2 is exploded perspective vieu' ot' one of the Vforms which my invention may assume;

Fig. E a perspectire View oi? another form thereof; and,

p Fig. l .is :i cross-sectional View showing the supportingl means in position within mandrel.

in irn'acticing my invention` I employ a truck or cnrringe 1l which is adopted to run on n track into a heater (not shown). Since these elements are o'l" well known coi'ist-ruction, it is not believed to be necessary to de` scribe them in detail. i A. horizontally disoosed clamping roil 12 provided on one side ot the truck :ind deuils tin-oue'hout its lenoth. This clamprail is in tle torni ogt iong plate rectangular in cross section und one edge ol" the plate is ."eciired to the truck while the opposite edge is free.

ln the centerof the truck another clamping rail 13 which is similar o the one just descriied with 'the except-ion thnt it is eld in aiy vertical position und is secured to truck zit its lower edge. f`- plurality of supportingl members 11isl own in l? 2 are adapted to engage the hori'fiontal clamping rail 12, While a'siniiVn larly disposed plurality of supporting` members l5, shown in Fig. 3, are adapted to engage the vertical clamping rail 13.

Each supporting member 11i compri-,es4 a clamping portion lil, twobearing ears 17, and n plug 18, which is pivotally supported thereon by means of u pin 1f). ""he plug 1S. as

I. il

the

,l shown, is tapered toward its outer end and is rectangular in cross section. but it may be otI any other practical cross-sectional de sign. 1n order to limit the pivotal more ment oif the plug 1,8 about the pin 19 in one direction, a lug 2() is Yformed thereoii which is rulelrited to engage un edge portion 20" of the supporting` member. Also the shank of the plug is adopted to engage a surface portion Q9 between the eers 17 to limit pivotal movement thereoiC in the other direction. The supporting member 11i is provided With o. recess which lits over the edge portion oit the rail 12, and at set screw 24 clam s the support to the rail.

Each supporting member 15 comprises o dampingl portion 25 and a plug,` QG, which difiere 'from the plug` 1S only in ite connections and in the angle at Ywhich it projectey trom the clampingI portion. A receaa 27 tormed' inthe clamping,Y portion Q5 tits our the edge portion ot the rail 123 and a :iet @crew 2S is proif'ided for clamping,l the supportiiig' member thereto.

The supportin members 14e and 15 are adapted to rec niandrele that are usually termed ol' curved tubing, and a plug,` il() is rig-idly secured Within one end 'ot each mandrel in any convenienti manner. This plug`l` 23() contains an (mening 32 which is complcmei'itary7 to and isis adapted to receive the tapered pluri-1 1S and 26 in wedged relation. time providing; a Stable mounting which prevents the niai'idrel l Vl'rom tilting or Wobbling.

ln loadirm` e. truck with inandrele, the Si'ipporting members 14 are tiret arranged closely together on the clamping rail l2 and each plut;` is so positioned that it Will rest upon the :surface and will extend approximatelj/ horizontally away from the carriage. The supportingmember-e 15 are similarly placed upon the clamping` rail 3 with the Aplugs 2G projecting upWai-dlgT at an incline. The smaller mandrels 29 are then mounted upon the tapered plug-e and the larger mandi-els Q() thereafter being mrainted upon the tapered plugs 18.

The niandrels ot the outer row are then pivotalllv moved about the pin 19 into a position over and substantially concentrically with the mandrels of the inner row.

From the 'torepoing` description it will be apparent that the inandrels supported upon the tapered plugs 18 and 26 will be held in a fixed posiition, and mayv therefore he plaeet Ver;v close together without danger ot the tubes touching each other.

Although' I have Villustrated but one iorm which niy'invention may assume and have described in detail but a single application thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that. it is notJ eo limited but'that various; minor niodilications and changes may be made therein without departing i'rom the spirit otE the intention or trom the scope ot the appended claims.

lWhat l claim is:

1. The combination with a curved mandrel having a tapered openingl in one end thereof, ot a supporting member having' a tapered plug pivoted thereto :tor engaging the tapered opening, and means 'for limiting; pivotal m vei ent ot' the plug; in two directions.

'lhe combination vwith a mandrel hav-- ing a tapered oi'ieninpj therein, oit a tapered plug; tor the openii'iggj, a siipportingl rail for the pluto` and means tor clamping the latter upon the rail.

3. rlhe combination with a mandrel hav ing a tapered opening therein, of a tapered ping vor the opening` haring a transverselyY extending' recess liormed at one end thereot and a rail for supporting` the plug adapted to extend Within the recess.

4. The combination with a tube forming mandrel, ot a` supporting` member therefor, the mandrel and the supporting' member boing` provided with tapered complementary intertitting portions`r and a supporting' rail lor the member, the rail and the member also beine provided with Complementar7 intern'ttinge` portions.

The combination with a mandrel havinjxa non-circular tapered opening` in one end thereof, of a complementary plug tor the pening, a recessed member :tor Supporting' the plug` having pivotal connection theroii'ith and a rail associated opemtirelV7 with the recess in the member.

(3. The combination ot a plurality ot areuate mandrels, each having` a non-circular tapered openingl in one end thereof, ot a pluralit7 ot plugs complementary to the opening@ and :i rail tor :Suppertingv the pl in lined relation to each other.

ln Witness whereof, l have hereunto Signed my name.

JOHN R. VH UNTER 

